>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Angry Orchard. Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received it for free. The only consideration I knowingly made was pushing this up in my cider review cue. I love free stuff, especially cider! Want your cider or cider-related product reviewed here? Contact me.<<

Availability: wide release, year round, since October 2017 (they have a Cider Finder)

Cider Description:Angry Orchard Pear Cider is delicately crafted to highlight the mellow sweetness of pears. Using apples and pears grown in the US, this hard cider blends ripe pear taste with crisp apple notes for a well-rounded and smooth drink.

Made from pear varieties including Bartlett, D’Anjou, and Bosc, and apple varieties including Gala, Fuji, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith.

My Opinion: I liked it. The finish was really surprising though, as the tartness lingered much more than I’d expect (maybe the malic acid?). It was easy to drink and it didn’t bore me, although tasted a bit commercial.

Review of Pear UP’s Raspeary, a raspberry-flavored pear cider (technically a perry, as no apples were used, only pears, but many consumers wouldn’t recognize that term). Note that Pear UP had previously gone by the name Neigel Vintners or NV Cider. I previously sampled this at Cider Rite of Spring in Portland OR (see here). I’ve also tried their Pear Essentials, Half Past Prudent, Cherry Perry, Watermelon Perry, and Watermelon Raspberry Perry.

Cider Description: (none given; this appears to be one of their newer varieties, and isn’t listed on the website)

Cidery Description: Neigel Vintners is a family affair. Our cider company is run on our family property. Some of the first pears we press each year come off of remnants of the first pears planted by the family. Over 100 years old, these trees have had their heart-wood rot out and survived. There are several places a person can reach through the center of the tree with a hand. These trees have been a staple of the property for generations.

My Opinion: This was a nice sessionable summer beverage. However, it was a bit syrupy and the raspberry was fake tasting (they use extract, which is actually quite common, even in craft cider). I think a bit more carbonation and tartness could have helped balance those two things. This is one of the few ciders I think wouldn’t be bad over ice, although I didn’t try that, as the bottle didn’t last very long and I was indoors.

Most Similar to: Pear UP’s watermelon and raspberry-watermelon perries.

Closing Notes: I enjoyed this less when I tried it previously (which may have been on draft?). However, they make some tasty easy drinking perries for a reasonable cost. I think they would do even better in this area with a multipack of cans, as that is the current trend, although not my personal preference. I have heard that they are moving from 16.9oz to 12oz bottles, some sold individually (Aluminum) and some sold in multipacks (glass).

Review of Wyder’s Pear cider (previously “Dry Pear”). I’ve tried this before, but pre-blog. I’ve also had their Reposado Pear, Raspberry, and Prickly Pineapple ciders. They sent me a nice sampler of three ciders (plus a cool tote bag!), featuring new labels/packaging.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Wyder’s. Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received it for free. The only consideration I knowingly made was pushing this up in my cider review cue. I love free stuff, especially cider! Want your cider or cider-related product reviewed here? Contact me.<<

Cider Description:This light, crisp cider presents a tangy aroma while offering a distinct pear taste, and ends with a lively mouth feel that tickles the tongue.

Cidery Description: We have specialized in eclectic fruit-forward ciders for more than two decades. It’s a pretty hyper-connected world out there, grab a Wyder’s when you’re ready to unplug. Wyder’s wants to be a part of you finding the good in life and your Happy Place. We hope you enjoy, and bring us along!

Price: n/a (although it runs ~$9.99 / six pack)Where Bought: n/aWhere Drank: homeHow Found: Initially, browsing, although this time it just showed up.

My Opinion: I enjoyed it, and can definitely see why it is popular. Its easy to drink and refreshing. This would be a nice summer BBQ type cider. It doesn’t really have any complexity though, and is slightly commercial tasting.

Closing Notes: I’m glad to see they dropped the “Dry”, as it isn’t. I think my favorite Wyder’s cider is the Reposado Pear (tequila barrel aged), which is one of the few ciders that pairs well with Mexican food. Hopefully they continue making that one (it wasn’t included in this sample box).

Review of Woodchuck’s Pear Ginger, a new variety of Summer Time (which has previously only referred to their blueberry cider, which won’t be released this year at least). I’ve tried most of their lineup; see here.

>>This is a review of a sample bottle provided to Cider Says by Woodchuck. Although I will take care to treat it the same as any other review, there is always the potential for bias as I received it for free. The only consideration I knowingly made was pushing this up in my cider review cue. I love free stuff, especially cider! Want your cider or cider-related product reviewed here? Contact me.<<

Description:Summer is here, bringing warm, carefree days and fun, festive nights. Woodchuck Summer Time delivers a crisp pear cider bursting with fresh ginger for a taste that refreshes like a cool jump in your favorite swimming hole.

Closing Notes: Interesting that they decided to also name this Summer Time…it may get confused with the blueberry version. I liked the flavor of the blueberry Summer Time, although it was rather sweet. The Woodchuck variety I really miss however is their Spring seasonal which had maple syrup; oddly enough they are currently skipping over Spring, and only doing Summer, Fall, and Winter seasonals.

Review of NV Cider’s Watermelon Hard Pear Cider. Its actually a perry as no apples were used, but I imagine they called it a pear cider as a lot of folks don’t know what perry is. I’ve tried a few varieties from them before; see here.

Cider Description: This is a perry made using native pear varieties from East Wenatchee, with watermelon extract. Note that they refer to it as a pear cider, but that is typically reserved for beverages made from both apples and pears, often fermented apple juice with pear juice added afterwards.

Cidery Description: Neigel Vintners is a family affair. Our cider company is run on our family property. Some of the first pears we press each year come off of remnants of the first pears planted by the family. Over 100 years old, these trees have had their heart-wood rot out and survived. There are several places a person can reach through the center of the tree with a hand. These trees have been a staple of the property for generations.

My Opinion: This was tasty, but it left me wanting more watermelon flavor. Right after opening it had an awesome strong watermelon scent, but that diminished. I know that watermelon juice isn’t very flavorful, but I think this would have been a great cider to leave fairly unfiltered, which likely would have made it easier to get the watermelon flavor.

Most Similar to: NV Cider’s Cherry Perry, which was also a fruity perry (see my tasting notes here). That one had a nice unfiltered aspect to it though, which I think helped add to the complexity. I like watermelon more than cherry, but I think the Cherry was pulled off better. The Cherry Perry was also sweeter, so I think that helped make it seem more flavorful.

Closing Notes: I’m a huge watermelon fan, and although the flavor intensity was a bit lacking, it was an enjoyable perry. I look forward to seeing what else they come up with.

Cider Description:Reposado. The name given to tequilas aged between two and twelve months in oak barrels. The wood aging smoothes out the tequila while infusing it with subtle oak notes. Wyder’s® Reposado Pear cider is an adventurous tango with the classic blue agave based spirit. Traditional Wyder’s® Pear cider infused with smooth subtle oak laden tequila notes. Refreshing pear cider crafted with some inspiration from south of the border.

Cidery Description: Wyder’s® Hard Cider has specialized in eclectic fruit-forward ciders for more than two decades. We figured it was about time our look on the outside of the bottle, matched the artful reality of what is inside the bottle! The liquid remains unchanged; we just updated our look to better fit what we are all about. It’s a pretty hyper-connected world out there, grab a Wyder’s when you’re ready to unplug. We hope you enjoy.

Price: ~$2 / single bottleWhere Bought: Total WineWhere Drank: homeHow Found: Browsing. I’ve tried this a few times before.

Cidery Description: The Northwest stokes our passion to create exceptional ciders. And, since the best apples in America, arguably the world, come from the Northwest, it makes sense that it carries our local stamp. Flatbed Ciders are made with local apples picked at their peak and pressed into a mixture that’s equal parts crisp and refreshing. A cider that’s truly Northwest of normal. No artificial ingredients, no sugar added, no shenanigans. Flannel up and enjoy!

Price: $9.99-$10.99 (although I bought a single bottles for $2)Where Bought: Total WineWhere Drank: homeHow Found: I read about Flatbed Cider online and have already seen them at a number stores, but waited until I could buy a single bottle of each variety.